and yet he bragged that he had the Gospel The Donatists did carry the signe of Christ against Christ Aug. Epist 61 did bragge of the Gospel against the Gospel The old Emperours of Rome after their cōquests of cities had the mappes of those cities caried about in their triūphs the Papists after the ouerthrow of Christes Church vse in their triumph the name of the Church the Churche but they haue as much right to the name of the Church Dan. 5. as the Babylonians had to the holy vessels of the temple of Ierusalem after the ouerthrow of the City Ierusalem 9 The visible Church consisteth of good and badde BEfore Christ shal be gathered all nations Mat. 25. ver 32. and he shall separate them one from another as a shepheard separateth the sheepe from the goates c. If the sheepe shal not be seuered from the goates before the day of iudgement it is manifest that the badde and good are mingled together in the visible Church vntil that time The visible Churche is compared to a net Mat. 13. Mat. 3. 2. Tim. 2. wherein there are good and badde fishes to a floare wherein there is wheate and chaffe to a fielde wherein there is both wheate and tares to a greate house wherein there are vessels of golde and siluer and vessels of wood and earth Mat. 25. and to ten virgins whereof fiue were wise and fiue foolish In external assemblies the badde are mingled with the good so it was in Salomons Temple at the marriage feast Mat. 22. Gen. 4. Gen. 9. Gen. 16. Mat. 26. 2. Pet. 2 Cain sacrificed as well as Abel C ham was in the Arke as well as Iaphet Agar was in Abrahams house as well as Sara Iudas was in Christes company as well as Peter And euill Angels were in heauen till they were cast our from thence When we see any which seemed to vs goodly members sometimes of the Church to become enemies to Gods religion and the verye murrayne of the Church we may not be discouraged 2. Tim. 2. For we must remember that the Church is a great house and that if they had been of vs they should haue continued with vs 1. Iohn 2. that many wolues are within the visible Church and lastly that mens sinnes as fire couered with Ashes are hidden for a time but afterward appeare in their colours So did the sinnes of Cain Iudas Cham Saul Demas many others Question Why wil almighty GOD haue his Church consist of good and badde Answeare Aug. Epist 205. That the good may be exercised and tried as gold in the fornace that Gods loue may appere more notably which for a very little wheate spareth for a time great store of cares The Sodomites were spared because of Lot Gen. 19. Acts 27. the Egyptians because of Ioseph they which were in the ship because of Paule Obiection The Churche is the Communion of Saints therefore it hath not both good and badde in it Answere The meaning is not that all whiche are assēbled in the Church are truly sanctified but rather that there is no true communion no true holinesse but in the Church calling it as we commonly vse by the best part 10 The particuler Churches are mixt of the elect and reprobate but they are not called Gods Churches but for the elects sake The visible Churche for the electes sake is called the house of God 1. Tim. chap. 3. ver 15.1 the piller ground of truth this cannot be giuen properly to reprobates hipocrits For to be an hipocrite piller of trueth cannot stand together The Church is the spouse of Christ onely for the elects sake Ephe. chap. 5 ver 30. For wee are members of his body of his flesh of his bones By which words of the Apostle as the straight and neere knot betweene Christ the bridegroome the Church his spouse doth notably appeare so it were strange dealing to shut the reprobates hipocrites within that compasse I confesse that Christ is said to be the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world 1. Iohn 2. but he is so called because of the wheate that is Aug. Epist 4 8 Gods elect which is dispersed throughout the whole world A heape of wheat though it haue chaffe amōgst it is not called a heape of chaffe but a heape of Corne because it is a heape by reason of the Corne. A tunne of wine though it haue lees in it is called not a tunne of lees but a tunne of wine because it is a tunne by reason of the wine No man did euer call that the fielde Mat. 13. wherein the tares appeared with the wheat a field of tares but a field of wheate because it was sowen with wheate In like sort the visible Church though it consist of good and badde is and must be called Gods Church because of the elect When we say that the vyne yeeldeth wyne for the vse of man we meane not the dead and withered but the fruitful braunches of the vine In like case whatsoeuer is spoken of the church is so to be referred to the visible Church that it belonges to the elect onely not to the reprobates and Hypocrites 11 The externall estate of Gods Churche is subiect to many chaunges in the world therefore Gods Churche is not alike visible at all times Psal 80. GOds Churche is sometimes compared to a flourishing vine whiche filled the land and whose boughes were like the goodly cedars and sometymes to a vyne destroyed by the wild bore Aug. Epist 4◠and eaten vp by the wild beasts of the field It is compared to the moone which appeares not alwayes alike vnto vs yet neither the moone is destitute of light from the sunn nor the Church of the light of gods spirit frō the sonne of righteousnes Christ Iesus In Enos tyme the face of the Churche was beautiful Gen. 4. Gen. 7. but afterward it was shut in Noes family as in an Arke In the kingdom of Dauid religion flourished 2. Sam. 6. the Church was very glorious but after his time there was a great Eclipse and Gods Church was vnder a blacke cloude In the time of the captiuity in Babylon Read Dan. Nehem. Ezra the estate of Gods Church was very miserable but after the captiuity was ended and the Iewes returned to Ierusalem vnder Zorobabel the City was buylt the Temple was repayred the true worshippe was restored and the Church of GOD was very faire in the eyes of the Israelites In what case was Gods Churche when the horne that is the Emperors of Rome made battel against the Saints Dan. chap. 7. ver 21. preuayled against them In the time of the Pharisies Sadduces c. Gods church was in a strange pickle but Christ at his comming raysed it as it were from death and put life into it and made it very beautiful Since that
Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 1. may bee said to be without spot because it is washed and purged by the blood of Christe and without wrinkle because it is clothed with the righteousnesse of Christe by the imputation of whose righteousnesse wee are at Gods handes both absolued and sanctified 24 The Church of Rome hath and may erre BEholde the bountifulnesse and seueritie of GOD towardes them Rom. cha 11. verse 22. whiche haue fallen seuerytye but towardes thee bountifulnes if thou continue in his bountifulnes or else thou also shalt be cut off If the Churche of Rome could not erre why should Paul write this Lib. 1. cont Marcionem Tertullian makes mention of alters dedicated to vnknowen gods which he calleth the Idolatrie of the Athenians and to vncertaine gods which he calleth the superstition of the Romanes Hormisda a Bishoppe of Rome in a writing of his to the Bishops of Spayne maketh this matter very cleare The sum of his wordes is this Dearely beloued let vs pray without ceasing that we may cleaue soundly vnto Christ and not forsake him least we be iustly forsakē of him If Saint Pauls doctrine in the Epistle to the Romaines be sounde whereof none that feare God doth make any question then the popishe Church whiche holdes many thinges disagreeing from that Epistle is not free from errour Let the questions of iustification election freewill obedience to the Magistrate be considered Besids their spoyling Christ of his priesthood and Gods people of the cup in the Lordes supper their transubstantiation a number of grosse absurdities which they hold are manifest demonstrations of the erring of the Popishe Church 25 They may not bee accompted Schismatikes which forsake the Church of Rome If any Church giue ouer the trueth of Gods religion wee must forsake that Church that we be not infected with that leprosie and yet wee may not be accompted Schismatikes for men are then Schismatikes when they depart from the true Church and doctrine not when they returne from errour to trueth He is a Schismatike whiche is the cause of schisme and not hee which beginneth the separation euen like as he whiche denieth the lawe is the cause of the processe and not he which first began The Protestantes haue not forsaken Siō but Babylon not Bethel but Bethauen they haue not erected Alter against Alter Aug. epi. 162. as Ieroboam and the Donatistes did but they haue cast the Alter of Damascus out of the Lordes house and haue restored the true worship of God 26 The Church must bee built vpon the word of God Ephe. chap. 2. verse 19.20 NOwe therefore yee are no more straungers and forreiners but Citizens with the Saintes and of the housholde of GOD and are built vpon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophetes Iesus Christe him selfe beeyng the chiefe corner stone c. If the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles be the foundation of the church howe can the Church stande if the doctrine be remoued and howe can the doctrine continue without sounde teachers and what hart canne they haue to teache when they want maintenance Shal they which bee noble mens and gentlemens gardiners huntsmen be bountifully prouided for of their Lordes and Maisters charge and shall not they which are fitte to attende vpon the Lords vine field garden orchard haue allowance of the churches charge If this soare be not looked vnto many students of diuinitie must of force betake them selues to some other course for men must liue and to go a begging is a point next the worse and a very vnfit occupation for a learned student in diuinitie The Gospell and spirite of life Iren. lib. 3. cap. 1.11 is the foundation and piller of the Church They which wil build Gods Churche without the foundation of the word build with vntempered morter for Gods word is the life of the Church Obiection The Church was before the worde of God therefore it is not built vpon the word of God Answere The argument followes not I confesse that Gods Church in the beginning as for example Adam Abel Enos Noe Sē Abraham and many other of Gods children was before Gods word was put in writing but Gods church was not before Gods word For if the Church be an assemblie of the faithful the mē cānot be called faithful wtout faith that faith cannot consist without the woorde of God it is a necessarie consequent that Gods woorde was before Gods Church Gene. 4. Heb. 11. Abell sacrificed vnto almightie God by faith Therefore Gods expresse woorde was his direction for faith hath relation to no other thing The difference of cleane and vncleane beasts is mentioned in Genesis before the flood Gece 7. but this difference could not bee vnderstanded but by the voyce of almightie God Noe after his comming out of the Arke offered a burnt offering this sacrifice of Noe pleased God therefore it is a good consequent that Noe had Gods worde to direct him for no wilworshippe did euer please God Obiection 1. Tim. 3. verse 15. The Church is the piller and grounde of trueth therefore the worde is not the foundation of the Church Answere It followes not and the Church is therefore called the piller and grounde of the trueth because amongst men it vpholdeth and retayneth Gods trueth 17 The Church is knowne by the worde of God SEarch the Scriptures Iohn chap. 5. ver 39. they testifie of mee saith Christ We knowe Christ by the Scriptures therefore we knowe the Church by the Scriptures This consequent is very good and is framed thus by Augustine In the Scriptures wee haue learned Christ Epist 166. saith Augustine in the Scriptures we haue learned the Church And a little after where we haue knowne Christ meaning in the scriptures there we haue knowen the Church which sentence he repeateth very often in that epistle The Donatists said that Christs church remained only in Africke Epist 166. but Augustine telles them that their warrant is not taken out of the lawe or the Prophete or the Psalme or the Apostle or Euangelist but out of their owne heartes and cauils of their progenitors by which words it is euident that the Churche is knowne and must be shewed by the worde of God We seeke the Church in the holy scriptures Aug. devnita Eccle. cap. 2. Epist 48. and in the same scriptures we doe manifestly knowe the Church 28 Iesus Christ alone is the foundation of his Church OTher foundation can no man laye then that which is laid 1. Cor. 3. ver 11. which is Iesus Christ Thus saith the Lord God behold I wil lay in Sion a stone Esai 28. ver 16 1. Pet. chap. 2 verse 6. a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation that is Iesus Christ so doth the Apostle Peter expounde it Yee are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles Prophetes Ephe. chap. 2. ver 20. Iesus Christ himself being
soueraigne medicine in Gods church is the punishment of the conscience not of goods nor of the body otherwise then by some shame reproch which waites vppon our separation from the Churche of God and so are S. Paules wordes of the destruction of the fleshe 1. Cor. 5. to be vnderstanded therefore they which haue purposed since the Popes excōmunication against her maiestie eyther to hurt her royall person or to depose her from her kingdome as they haue passed the listes and boūds of al excōmunication so their sinne is very grosse exāple very dangerous 3 The preaching of Gods word the sincere administration of the Sacraments are the essential markes of Christes Churche and where these markes are there vndoubtedly the true church is though there bee otherwise in that Church some blemishes IF the Church be the assemblie of the faithful Rom. 10. and faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God it is a cleare case that the preaching of the worde belongeth to the essence of the visible Church We are taught in Gods booke Mat. 28. that the Sacraments instituted of Christ are the seales of Gods word therfore the Sacraments pertayne to the essence of the visible Church The Churches of Israel and Iuda were therefore Gods Churches because they had Gods law preached circumcision the passeouer which were their Sacramēts administred amongst thē Iosias 2. Chron. 34. 35. chap. that he might plāt Gods Church aright caused the booke of the lawe to be published and a passeouer to be proclaymed Nehem. 8. Ezra 7. Ezra after his returne from Babylon expoundeth Gods law to the Israelites restoreth the true vse of the Passeouer S. Luke setting down the estate of the Primitiue Churche in orient coloures Acts 2. saith that they continued in the Apostles doctrine which is the life of the Church and felowship that is in performing of Christiā dueties one to another breaking of bread that is in the administratiō of the holy supper prayers that is publike prayers in which consisteth the profession of our religiō This excellēt Church had the Apostles doctrine and the holye communion therefore it was the church of Christ If any saye that the Sacrament of baptisme is not here mentioned I aunsweare in a worde that Saynt Luke needed not to mention Baptisme seeyng he speaketh of such as were alreadie baptised 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 1. Galat. 1. The Churches of Corinth and Galatia had great blemishes in them yet because they had Gods truth sacramēts among them they are accompted by S. Paule the Churches of God If the sound preaching of the worde and the administration of the sacramēts are the essentiall marks of Gods church then learned ministers are necessarie for they blow the Lords siluer trumpets Num. 10. put their handes to the framing of the siluer vessels of the temple If Godlie and learned ministers are necessarie and singuler ornaments in the Church of God then schooles of learning and Vniuersities wherein students are made fitte to serue Gods Church are especially to be regarded 1. Sam. 19. 2. King 2. 22. chap. Suche schooles of learning were at Nayoth in Samuels time at Iericho and Bethel in Elizeus time at Ierusalem in Iosias time Caluin in 1. Cor. chap. 14. verse 32. at Corinth in S. Paules time and such are now with vs in Cambridge and Oxeforde If these be vpholden religion flourisheth and consequently Gods blessings increase in the land If these goe to wracke farewel religion and the good estate of the commō wealth But Vniuersities and schooles of learning must needes decay when the students are not prouided for imployed accordingly and preferred and imployed they cannot bee if either the Churches maintenance be pulled away or Church liuings be bought and sold for money or pensions 4 Godlie and learned Ministers must bee freely and bountifully prouided for BEware that thou forsake not the Leuite as long as thou liuest vppon the earth Deut. chap. 12. ver 19. Almighty God commanded the Israelites to haue especiall care of the Leuite therefore they might not vse him like a drudge or send him a begging If the Leuite must be excellently vsed greater regarde must be had of the minister of the Gospell whose calling because it is greater then Iohn the Baptistes Mat. chap. 11. ver 11. is farre aboue the Leuites Gods Church is the piller ground of truth 1. Tim. cap. 3. ver 15. because by the ministery of the word Gods truth is preserued in the Church If the ministerye of the word preserues this precious iewel in the church as the priests did the fire vpon the altar in the time of the law thē they Leuit. chap. 6. which hinder Gods ministery doe robbe Gods Church of inestimable treasure hinder the ministery do they which discourage the learned ministers by powling thē of the churches prouision But if Dauid sending his seruaunts to comfort the king of Amon after his fathers death 2. Sam. 10. tooke in great dudgen the shauing of his seruantes beardes cutting of their garmēts will almighty God take it in good part that his seruants whom he hath furnished with excellent gifts for the cōfort of his church are polled shauē of their maintenance stripped as it were into their shirts and handled as dishcloutes Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne cost Who plāteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit therof Or who feedeth a flocke eateth not of the milke of the flocke 5. Cor. chap. 9. ver 7. If they whom S. Paule mentions in this verse are prouided for either of the common charge as the souldier or by the fruit of the vine as the husbandman or by the mylke of the flocke as the shepheard It is most equall that learned ministers should haue large allowance of the churches charge for their warfare vineplanting sheepfeeding doeth as farre passe the others as the precious diamond doth the peeble stone We beseech you brethrē that you know that is haue regard of thē which labor amōg you that ye haue them in singuler loue for their works sake c. 1. The. cap. 5 ver 12 13. If learned ministers must be especially fauoured they may not bee kept from their owne if they must be singulerly loued for their works sake they may not be trodē vpō as the mire in the streets nor spoiled by graceles mē of the churches maintenāce But churchpollers loue churchmē as Philippides did his father when hee cudgeled him Aug. epist 168. and as a rufler in Augustines time did his mother whom hee vsed in like sort most vnnaturally Balthasar the king of Babylon in the middest of a great feast called for the golden vessels which were brought from the temple of Ierusalem they were brought vnto him by his seruauntes The king his princes his wiues his concubines did drinke wine